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Earlier this week, Sir Roger Moore, the third actor to portray Ian Fleming’s British Secret Service Agent, James Bond, passed away at the age of 89. Moore died after a brief battle with cancer at his home in Switzerland, according to his family members. The actor first achieved fame with lead television roles in series like Maverick and The Saint in the 1950s and 60s. His first outing as James Bond came with 1973’s Live and Let Die, the second Bond novel by author Ian Fleming. Moore’s appointment to the role came after Sean Connery returned for one additional film (Diamonds Are Forever) following actor George Lazenby’s dismissal from the the part. He would then go on to star as Bond in an additional six films throughout the remainder of the 1970s and up until 1985’s A View To A Kill. Continue reading →

In 1997, writer/director Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional, The Family) released his cult sci-fi classic The Fifth Element, featuring an all-star cast led by Bruce Willis (Die Hard, Pulp Fiction), Milla Jovovich (Dazed and Confused, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Chris Tucker (Friday, Rush Hour), and Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Day After Tomorrow). Set in the 23rd century, the film follows a cab driver in New York City whose life changes when he inadvertently picks up Leeloo. After being contacted by a strange priest, who informs him of Leeloo’s importance in defeating a great Evil, the three of them embark on a mission to save Leeloo and the universe at large.

The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Effects/Editing and, over the years, has developed a massive cult following. It also furthered the career of Milla Jovovich, who went on to star in such films as Zoolander and the Resident Evil film series. As a special 20th Anniversary celebration, The Fifth Element will be playing in select theaters across the country on May 14th and 17th. Showtimes and locations for Minneapolis, Chicago, and Cincinnati are available below, but you can search for screenings in your area by zip code right here at the Fathom Events website. Be sure to make it out for the special occasion!

A new documentary centered around the youngest actor to portray British agent James Bond 007 (and for only one film) is coming to Hulu this May 20th. George Lazenby, a car salesman from Australia, famously conned his way into the role by going to meet with producer Albert R. Broccoli, securing an audition by claiming he had acting experience in his native Australia, which wasn’t true. He was, however, able to pull off an audition that was good enough to convince fellow producer Harry Saltzman of his worthiness for the part, and thus On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) became the first Bond film without original actor Sean Connery appearing in the title role. Although audiences and critics had mixed reviews upon its release, OHMSS has, over the years, became one of the more favored entries in the Bond franchise. Incidentally, Lazenby is also the only actor to have received major recognition for his portrayal of the character, earning a Golden Globe nomination in 1970 for Most Promising Newcomer/Best New Star. Continue reading →

Director Amma Asante’s latest project, A United Kingdom, is seeing a limited theatrical release this weekend after premiering at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Starring David Oyelowo (A Most Violent Year, Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Gone Girl), the film tells the story of Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana, who caused an international controversy when he married a white Englishwoman in the late 1940s. Their marriage was met with criticism and persecution in both South Africa, which borders Botswana, and Seretse’s family and local Bamangwato chieftaincy elders. At the time, interracial marriage was illegal in South Africa. To complicate things further, Botswana (then Bechuanaland) was a British protectorate, and England was still recovering from World War II, and so relied heavily on supplies imported from South Africa. As a result, the British government declared Seretse unfit to serve as chieftain and exiled him and his wife, Ruth Williams, from Botswana in 1951. Continue reading →

This week will see a number of indie projects open in select theaters across the country. The 9th Life of Louis Drax is a mystery thriller from horror director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D) surrounding a psychologist working with a boy young boy who suffers after a near-fatal fall. The film was penned by actor Max Minghella (The Social Network, The Ides of March), whose late father Anthony was an Oscar-winning screenwriter responsible for such gems as The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Jamie Dornan (Marie Antionette, Fifty Shades of Grey), Aiden Longworth (Cut Bank, Hector and the Search for Happiness), Sarah Gadon (The Amazing Spider-Man, Enemy), and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Exodus: Gods and Kings) star in the film, which is based on a novel by Liz Jensen. Continue reading →

With Daniel Craig (Layer Cake, Quantum of Solace) sadly stepping down from the role, speculation continues to circle the web as to who is going to replace him as the world’s most famous spy. Although MGM had reportedly offered Craig £68 million for a further two films, plus shares, inside reports have stated that Craig is simply done with the role, and is moving on. And so now must producers Barbara Broccoli (GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough) and Michael G. Wilson (For Your Eyes Only, License to Kill), along with the heads at MGM, decide on a new actor to further the franchise. The favored choice, at least according to all the rumors, is Avengers and High-Rise actor Tom Hiddleston, who has thus far denied all of the rumors, but who, I’m sure, is not completely against the idea. Another name that has come up is Aiden Turner (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Poldark), but according to a more recent report from the Daily Mail, Billy Eliot and Nymphomaniac star Jamie Bell is in actual talks with the producers to take over the role. Continue reading →

Along with Papa Hemingway in Cuba, there are some great limited releases hitting theaters this weekend. First off is a new drama from actor-turned-director Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses), Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, The Interpreter), Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction, Catch Me If You Can), and Catherine Hahn (Step Brothers, Parks and Recreation) titled The Family Fang, which is based on the book by Kevin Wilson. The film follows a brother and sister as they return home in search of their famous parents, who have gone missing. Seems fairly promising, but you can be the judge.

Next up is an Italian film titled The Wait (L’attesa) from director Piero Messina (La Porta, Terra) and starring internationally known actress Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Godzilla) about a mother who unexpectedly meets her future daughter-in-law at a villa in Sicily and waits with her for her son to arrive, concealing some dark secret the entire time. Continue reading →

A new sci-fi thriller called 10 Cloverfield Lane is opening in theaters this Friday, March 11th, 2016. Although you might recognize the title, aside from the name, there is apparently no other connection to the original 2008 thriller Cloverfield, which involved a monster of sorts attacking the residents of New York City. This new movie comes from director Dan Trachtenberg from a script by screenwriters Josh Campbell (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Van Helsing), Matthew Stuecken (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra), and Damien Chazelle (Grand Piano, Whiplash) about a woman who is involved in a car accident and is held in a shelter by two men who believe the world has been affected by a widespread chemical attack. Starring in the film are actors John Goodman (The Big Lebowsky, Argo), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard, Death Proof), John Gallagher (Margaret, The Newsroom), Douglas M. Griffin (Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years A Slave), Suzanne Cryer (Wag the Dog, Silicon Valley), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover), and Sumalee Montano (Nashville, Veep). The trailer is available here on MADE; check it out on the big screen this weekend!

A new war drama from director Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ender’s Game) titled Eye in the Sky is opening in theaters nationwide this Friday, March 11th. The film is led by Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren (The Queen, The Hundred-Foot Journey) and features an ensemble of stars including Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Exodus: Gods and Kings), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips, Hawaii Five-O) and Phoebe Fox (One Day, A Poet in New York), as well as the late Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Love Actually), who died just last month. Screenwriter Guy Hibbert (Five Minutes of Heaven, A United Kingdom) wrote the script about a military colonel commanding a drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, who becomes enthralled in an international debate over the morality, and the implications of modern warfare when a young girl enters the Kenyan kill zone where the operation is taking place. Although this will be his last full-length feature appearing in the flesh, Alan Rickman’s last official film will be the upcoming sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, titled Alice Through the Looking Glass, expected in theaters this coming May. The trailer for Eye in the Sky is available here on MADE. Check it out in theaters this Friday.

A new biographical drama called Race is opening in theaters nationwide this week, which follows the story of Jesse Owens, the Olympian who won four gold medals for track and field at the 1936 Olympics. Ownes’ performance went down in history, not only for his amazing skill, but also for the fact that his victory happened in Berlin, the heart of Adolf Hitler’s supposedly supreme Aryan Race. The film is directed by Stephen Hopkins (Lost in Space, The Reaping) from a script by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (The Tonto Woman, Frankie and Alice) and stars Stephan James (Home Again, Selma), Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers), Eli Goree (Godzilla, The 100), Shanice Banton (Degrassi: The Next Generation, A Day Late and a Dollar Short), Carice van Houten (The Fifth Estate, Game of Thrones), Jeremy Irons (The Man in the Iron Mask, Die Hard with a Vengeance), and John Hurt (The Good Shepard, Robin Hood). Considering the ensemble cast and the profoundly positive message, this one might turn out to be one of the more impressive sports biographies recently released, but that’s no slate against Concussion, Foxcatcher, or 42. The trailer is available here on MADE. See it on the big screen this Friday. Enjoy!